Annuals or short-lived perennials, tufted to loosely tufted. Culms ascending to erect, (13–)25–76 cm, smooth or sparsely scabrid below nodes, nodes 3 or 4, 0–2 exserted. Leaf sheaths scabrid, 6–14 cm, slightly shorter than to 2 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 1/4–1/2 of length; blade flat, thin to moderately thin, 5–22 cm × 2–4(–5) mm, surfaces and margins smooth to sparsely scabrid; ligules 2.5–6.5 mm, abaxially smooth or sparsely scabrid, apex truncate to acute, collars, smooth to scabrid, glabrous. Panicle open, narrowly pyramidal, 6.5–18 × 3–6 cm, longest internodes 2–6 cm; branches spreading to reflexed, flexuose, sinuous to twisted to arched, 1–3 per node, scabrid throughout, distally angled, longest 2–8 cm with 5–15(–28) spikelets in distal 1/2–2/3. Spikelets lanceolate, purple tinged, 4–7 mm, florets 2–4(–6); vivipary absent; rachilla internodes 0.8–0.9 mm, smooth to densely scabrid; glumes subequal to unequal, narrow, keel, veins and distal surface sparsely scabrid, lower glume 2.2–4 mm, 1-or 3-veined, upper glume 2.8–4.5 mm; lemmas lanceolate, 3.1–4.4 mm, glabrous throughout, apex acute to acuminate, keel and veins scabrid, intermediate veins prominent, areas between veins scabrid throughout, or partly minutely bumpy; callus glabrous; palea minutely bumpy, sometimes scabrid between keels, keels scabrid. Anthers 0.5–0.9(–1.5) mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.
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